Happy Halloween!

Pizza is easy and fun to make. Buy ready made pizza dough (in the refrigerated or freezer section at the supermarket) or a ready-made crust (in the bread department), shredded mozzarella cheese and a jar of pizza sauce. Follow the directions on the crust package and you’ll have a kid fave ready to go!  Add fruit and a vegetable and watch how fast lunch disappears!

Pumpkins rot quickly, so now is the time to carve one, just in time for  Halloween.

If you weren’t able to visit one of our recommended Pumpkin Farms, its time to head to the grocery store to choose a pumpkin!   Tip! Limit the size the children choose by telling them they have to carry their own.

A "first" for many au pairs-they had never carved a pumpkin in their home country

Trick or Treat!?!

Have fun and enjoy this unique day.  For safety tips, costume ideas and recipes visit http://aupairinamerica.com/resources/calendars/#31

Happy Sweetest Day!

Global Awareness, “Meet your Global Neighbor” is a volunteer educational program unique to Au Pair in America.  www.globalawareness.com

Au Pairs go into classrooms, cub scout and brownie packs, libraries, independent bookstores and to birthday parties to share their culture with young children.

This program offers something special to all participants; to the children it  helps to spark an interest in different cultures and to the Au Pairs it presents an opportunity to volunteer in their community.

Global Awareness presentations are given in communities from coast to coast and support the mission of AIFS “we bring the world together”.

When I first came to live in Chicago, I had no idea what Sweetest Day was.  A quick Google search enlightened me.  Sweetest Day is basically Valentine’s Day in October.   Apparently Sweetest Day was the brainchild of candy makers attempting to convince people there are health benefits to eating candy and chocolate everyday! Hmmmmm, or should I say YUM…but don’t let your host children hear that!

The most typical way to celebrate Sweetest Day is to exchange romantic gifts with a loved one, though families and friends may give flowers, fruit bouquets, chocolates, and cute e-cards.

Whatever you do to celebrate, Sweetest Day is a great way to brighten a dreary October day.

Seeing that I live right in the city, 20 floors above Michigan Avenue, going to a pumpkin patch every fall is a big deal to my 4 1/2 year old.  We drove by a vacant lot selling pumpkins on North Avenue on Saturday, which of course started the questions-“Mommy, when are we going to pick punkins (sic)?  Can I get a reaaally big one?”

So, here are three pumpkin farms that friends have recommended to me: Bengston’s Pumpkin Fest in Homer Glen; Goebbert’s Pumpkin Farm in Barrington; and Johansen’s Farms in Bolingbrook.

I have no financial interest in any of these farms, nor have I visited any of them.  But would love your input. 

What is your favorite local Pumpkin Patch?